Bond
by TheQueenOfTheFoxes
Summary: Roshaun and Dairine don't know how they're connected, but they're about to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Dairine Callahan was lying on her bed on her stomach, scanning the information scrolling down on Spot's screen. Reclining against the wall beside her was Roshaun. Dressed with a baggy white t-shirt over his golden pants, sucking on a lollipop, he looked marginally less formal than the first time they had met.

Then again, that was probably one of the most insignificant changes he had undergone. Dairine herself had changed, too.

Glancing up from the paragraph she was searching, Dairine glanced at Roshaun. He had been perusing his version of the manual as well, a glowing sphere of light cupped in his hand, brow furrowed in concentration. The lollipop rather ruined the serious aura around him.

"Find anything?" Dairine asked tiredly.

"Nothing. Well, a lot of _things_ but nothing useful." Roshaun frowned, frustrated. They had been fruitlessly searching for explanations for a week.

"Shoot." Roshaun looked questioningly at her.

"It's an expression. Means 'oh no'." Less and less of these explanations were being required. Roshaun seemed to be tuning in to Dairine's mindset, and she had been thinking like him as well. A connection was being formed, and the pair wanted answers.

"Ah." He went back to his manual, and Dairine resumed her browsing, ready to start a new search. The trail she had been following was cold.

"Alright, Spot, do a search for... "link". No, wait we did that Tuesday. Try "bond", and let's see what turns up."

"Searching," Spot's mechanical voice said, "3,742 results. Want to narrow them down?"

Dairine bit her lip. Cutting them down meant she might miss something, but it'd be a lot easier than trolling through the data for another day.

"Sure. Add "wizards" and, let's see, "spells". No! Not spells, too general. Um..."

"How about "pair"?" Spot suggested, "It would trim off the group links that have been turning up."

"Go for it." Spot whirred;

"343 results."

"Let's get started."

Two hours later, Dairine was struggling to keep her attitude positive. Nothing was turning up. Nothing about how Dairine kept getting glimpses into Roshaun's memories and mind, or how the sun king seemed to be able to predict Dairine's words before she said them.

The first few entries in the new search were about connecting spells together. More were on sharing and channeling power between wizards. A few were even about creating a type of wizardly "handcuff."

And then, entry 276.

Friaith.

Dairine scanned the entry, and smiled excitedly.

"Roshaun, I think I found something!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Friaith, _the entry read, _Friaith are among the most puzzling anomalies existing. Only three friaith have been reported in the history of time. The nature of friaith deals in subconscious "bonds". Simply put, two "beings", limited to wizards, are perfectly matched. That is, the two beings have been literally made for each other, like two halves of a circle. _

Dairine glanced sideways at Roshaun. He seemed to be absorbed in reading the entry, but she could tell he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. She read on:

_It must be understood that there have been about one hundred actual friaith in existence, but only the three mentioned above ever came into contact with each other and discovered what they were. _

_If this rare case occurs, by performing a certain wizardry, the two would become full friaith, that is, their very minds would be joined together as one. Varying attributes come with this bond, ranging from to increased power to new abilities._

_Friaith are not limited to species, location, or gender. _

_WARNING: If two beings suspect they are friaith, perform the wizardry, and are not friaith, the results would be catastrophic._

Dairine paused and looked at Roshaun.

"What do you think?"

"I think it sounds promising," Roshaun replied, "Or the closest thing we've come to an answer so far. But how do we tell if we are _Friaith_?"

"No idea. What if we aren't? We probably shouldn't do the wizardry…"

"Dairine," Spot said. She looked at the small laptop.

"Yeah?"

"There is a list of symptoms. You and Roshaun match all of them." Spot scrolled down. Sure enough, a checklist was at the bottom of the screen, complete with little Yes/No boxes.

_Symptoms of friaith:_

_Predicted actions_

_Leaked memories and/or thoughts_

_Unhappy to leave partner_

_Ease of wizardries when together_

The list went on for several more points. Spot was right, Dairine and Roshaun matched each one.

"What do you think?" Dairine asked. Roshaun nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems probable. We are _friaith_. I'd say the benefits of guessing right and completing this connection ought weigh "catastrophic results" if we're wrong. It's worth the risk."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Dairine jumped off the bed. "Let's go!" Running into the hall, she slammed into Nita.

"Hey! Watch it!" Nita said.

"Dairine, wait!" called Roshaun.

"What is it?" Dairine asked, looking at Roshaun, who had come to stand in the doorway. He was looking at Spot.

"It says we need to perform it under the moon. And we need another person, among a few other things."

"Oh. Well, we should do it tonight, and Nita can be the third person. I want to get this over with as soon as possible. I want my increased power… or catastrophic results. But there's no use waiting!"

"I agree," Roshaun said, "But we need to prepare."

"Hey, hold on a second," Nita interrupted, "Care to enlighten me on what the heck you're talking about?"

"Well, see, me and Roshaun figured out we're _friaith_, so we need you to help us do this ceremony, at least, I think, I haven't read it yet, and, oh, here, just read it yourself." Dairine thrust Spot into Nita's hands, who read the entry quickly.

"Oh, alright I'll do it. But are you sure? I mean, even I can tell you guys match all of these things, but… "

"We're sure," Dairine said firmly.

"Right then. I hope this works out, 'cause it looks pretty neat if it goes right. It says you need something that joins you together, "representing each being in equal measure"."

"Hmm," Roshaun murmured, "That's difficult. We haven't known each other that long, only a few of your months."

"No," Dairine said, biting her lip, "I have something! I've been carrying it around since you're dad told me to keep it." From a pocked of her cargo pants, she withdrew a necklace with a large, yellow stone in the center.

"The sunstone!" Roshaun exclaimed. "That's perfect. It's from my word, but the color of your sun through its experience."

"I'd say that works," Nita put in, "Now, I need to get to Kit's house, we have a meeting with S'reee. Get the rest of this stuff together, I'll be back by dark."

With that, she turned and walked down the stairs, running a hand through her hair.

Dairine turned to Roshaun excitedly.

"This is so cool!"

"Yes," Roshaun agreed, "And it means that I'll have an excuse to come back to Earth to get lollipops."


	3. Chapter 3

At exactly 8:00, Roshaun and Dairine stood facing Nita in the backyard. They were standing next to Luised, the moon's light casting an ethereal glow on scene.

Nita placed a sparkling black crystal in the center of a circle of copper wire on the ground. They had asked Luised's permission to move some of her leaves for the ceremony.

"Ok," Nita said, "The crystal and copper's all set. You guys need to hold each other's arms at the elbows." She gestured to Dairine and Roshaun.

"How do you know that?" Dairine asked, "You don't even have your manual out!"

Nita rolled her eyes.

"Dair, I've got Bobo. He's feeding me the instructions."

"Oh."

"Here." Nita walked over to them and positioned their arms so that they were each gripping each other's elbows. Roshaun had changed into a formal golden tunic for the ceremony, and Dairine into a clean Star Wars t-shirt. Spot was standing beside Dairine, eyes bent over the circle, observing the preparations.

"Ok. So, I'm going to say the bonding-"

"What's a bonding?" Dairine interrupted.

"It's the type of wizardry that we're doing. Like a joining. So anyways, I'm going to say it, then you each say your part, then, um, something should happen." Nita shrugged. "That should be it. It shouldn't take that long."

"You don't know what'll happen?"

"I've never done this before, in case you didn't know, Dairine."

"Can we please just get on with the ceremony?" Roshaun interrupted.

"Fine. First, though, where's the sunstone?" Nita asked. Dairine pulled the stone from her pocket.

"I need to place it three and three fourths inches to the south of the black crystal." Nita put the glowing stone in place.

"An eighth of an inch to the left," Spot corrected.

"Perfectionist," Nita muttered, but moved the stone to the correct distance.

"Alright, now what?" Dairine said impatiently, "My arms are starting to hurt."

"I'm so sorry," Nita said sarcastically, "Fine. Cross your fingers for no catastrophic results, and here we go."

Nita started to recite the wizardry.

"This is a soul bonding," she started in the speech, "Condition: Friaith. Activation…"

The bonding wizardry had a different quality about it than the defense and transit ones Dairine was used to. The entire thing somehow radiated an aura of unity and fulfillment.

Dairine vaguely caught a few words from Nita, like "unite" and "combine" and "complete", wasn't paying much attention. The wizardry forced her eyes up to lock with Roshaun's, and his eyes down to hers. His eyes were glowing a fierce gold.

And then Nita's part was done, somehow it sped by as she stared into Roahsun's soul, and Roshaun was chanting now, because it was more of a chant then a statement. More of an acceptance than a promise. She could hear him saying her name, her full name in the speech, that included every thing about her, down to the miniscule detail, which was odd because she had never given him that version of her name. She heard something about having secrets no longer, and then it was her turn.

She saw out of the corner of her eye the sunstone vibrating and glowing a purple light, and she said his name, his entire name that meant King and then said his real name in the speech as well, even though he had never given it to her. And she said something about souls and minds and openness, and she didn't even know where the words were coming from, only that she meant them with every fiber of her being.

And then she stopped, because her part was done, and she felt herself lifting up, and saw Roshaun lifting up. They strained, taut in the air and leant towards each other, their heads thrown back, and Dairine felt like something swooped and burst inside her head, and they fell to the ground.

And then Dairine opened her eyes. She saw Roshaun open his at the same time. And she felt herself standing up, but she was still on the ground and it was Roshaun who was standing up. Dairine felt him wonder if it was done.


	4. Chapter 4

_Dairine felt him wondering if it was done_. Her eyes widened, and Roshaun looked at her in shock. She could feel his shock at knowing what was inside her head. Then Dairine's face broke into a huge smile, and she laughed out loud. She could feel Roshaun's happiness as well, and their joined silent laughter echoed through both their heads.

Nita stared at Dairine.

"What? Why are you laughing?"

"Because," Dairine said aloud, while hearing herself say the words in Roshaun's head. To him, her voice sounded rough and flowing all at once. "It worked! Not catastrophic results! At least, I don't think so."

"No duh," said Nita, "What happened? What can you do?"

Dairine looked at Roshaun. He seemed to be illuminated by a faint golden glow. She saw herself looking at him in his mind. She seemed to be shining a dim green in his eyes.

"Um…" Dairine said to Nita, trying to figure out how to phrase it. "We can, I guess, see into each other's mind?" It was more of a question, as she wasn't really sure herself.

"More than that," Nita said, looking over Dairine's head, "Bobo says that your minds are actually connected now. More like two halves of a circle joining together. Everything that one of you feels or thinks, the other will sense, and feel the same way, and this is really complicated. I don't want to think about it for too long, I'll get a headache."

"Wow." Dairine looked at Roshaun. _Can you hear me?_ she thought loudly. Roshaun put a hand to his head.

_Yes! No need to yell._

_Sorry. _

"Ok. So what now?" Nita asked, breaking into the silent conversation.

"Err..." Dairine realized she was dead on her feet from the process, even though it was barely eight o'clock. The wizardry had taken a lot out of her. "Bed?"

"That idea is welcome," Roshaun replied, both inside her head and out, "We can figure more of this out in the morning."

"Let's go." They trooped inside, Spot scuttling at their heels. They separated when they reached the stairs; Nita to the kitchen, Roshaun down the stairs to the basement where his pup tent was, and Dairine into the living room and up the stairs.

However, Dairine didn't get more than three steps up when her head felt like a cool wind was sweeping through it, leaving behind just the barest hind of emptiness. Dairine sank down onto the step, her head in her hands. She felt Roshaun leaning on the banister to the down stairs, pressing a palm to his temple. He thought loudly:

_Dairine?_

She felt his panic, which mirrored her own. And it happened. Some kind of multiplier effect started. Dairine could sense the panic bouncing from mind to mind, growing. Her pulse skyrocketed and her breath came in pants.

_Roshaun!_ She put her hands on her knees, gulping in air. She could sense Roshaun fighting stay upright, bolting up the stairs in an adrenaline filled sprint. Then he was at her side.

She gripped his arm painfully while they both caught their breaths.

_We obviously didn't know enough about this before we did it,_ Dairine noted, straightening up. Roshaun nodded. _What was that emptiness before the panic, though? _

_I guess the bond is affected by distance. _Roshaun glanced hurriedly at her. _But we live on different planets… _

_We'll figure that out in the morning. I'm drained. Bring a pillow and blanket up to my room, you can sleep on the floor. I'm not going through that again. _

_Good. And perhaps a wizardry to make the floor more comfortable._

_Spoiled, _she thought, but knew he could feel that she would have done the same.

She walked to his pup tent with him while he retrieved what he needed, and they climbed the stairs to Dairine's room.

Dairine changed and brushed her teeth in the bathroom, and came out to find that Roshaun had put on some silk-like pajamas, elaborately decorated with golden designs. A wizardry was set up next to her bed so that he floated a few inches below her bed, where he lay with one of Dairine's pillows floating by his head, and a blanked at the foot of the "bed".

_Nice PJ's,_ Dairine snorted, _And that's my favorite pillow! _Roshaun smirked.

_I'm a guest. You have to let me use it._ Dairine just rolled her eyes.

_The distance matter is still troubling_, thought Roshaun.

_We'll figure something out. We'll see Tom and Carl tomorrow. _

_Perhaps we could also go to see my father. He is still the senior for my planet, after all._

_That's a good idea._ She knew he felt her nervousness at the thought.

_It will be fine. He will be different now that the pullulus has receded. _

_Good point. Gosh, I'm so tired. I need to sleep. _

_I do, also. Good night. _

That night, they dreamed each other's dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

Dairine woke up to the sound of waves. Which was unusual because she was at home in her bed in New York City. Then she realized that the noise was coming from her own mind. She further realized that it was actually coming from Roshaun's mind, and realized that that mind was a lot closer than it had been last night.

The events of the night before came back in a rush as she stared in annoyance at Roshaun's form, which had completely taken over her bed, squishing her into the wall. He must have rolled onto her mattress in his sleep.

He twitched, then blinked himself awake. He gazed blearily at her, then realized where he was.

_Good morning, he thought. Dairine could feel his mortification. _

_Why are you so embarrassed? It's not like you took over my bed on purpose._

_At home this would be considered a serious offense. It would be wise to forget this ever happened, and on no condition let my father hear of it. Or my mother, for that matter. _

_Alright, whatever. Shouldn't you get up, then?_ Roshaun shot up and half rolled and half fell onto the wizardly cushion, then slipped onto the floor. Dairine glanced in amusement at the ruffled king in a heap on her floor. He glared at her.

_Do you have oceans on Wellakh? _

_Oceans?_

_You were dreaming about waves._ She showed him a memory of the ocean from when she was little, diving in and out of the waves.

_No,_ Roshaun thought, perplexed, _We don't have anything of the sort. I must have noticed it in your mind sometime in the night and my subconscious found it interesting._

_Oh._ Dairine felt a little disoriented. Her mind felt like it had been stretched during the night, and it was making her a little dizzy. She could hear echoes of memories and thoughts from Roshaun, the multitude of emotions swirling around, making it hard to tell which were hers and which were Roshaun's. At the same time, she could feel Roshaun feeling the same.

_We need to talk to Tom and Carl, _she thought. Roshaun agreed.

She swung her legs off the bed, got up, and moved to her closet. As she was taking out a pair of cargo pants and a black t-shirt, Roshaun also got up and ended the wizardry that was his bed. Dairine went into the bathroom again to change. When she came out, Roshaun had gathered his blanket in his arms and was putting her pillow back on her bed.

_I'll meet you in the kitchen,_ Roshaun thought, _Then we can make plans for the day._

_Sounds good_. Dairine sat on her bed, mind elsewhere. When Roshaun moved away from the doorway, however, they both remembered just why Roshaun had slept on Dairine's floor. Or rather, her bed.

A wave of cool wind washed through Dairine's head. She gasped, and felt Roshaun fall back against the wall, and felt herself fall back with him mentally.

She felt hollow for a split second, then leaped off the bed and dashed over to Roshaun. They stood there, the emptiness gone, both breathing heavy. Dairine looked at Roshaun, and he met her eyes.

_We need to figure this out_, Dairine thought, and he silently agreed. Through an unspoken agreement, Dairine followed Roshaun down the stairs. In the basement, she waited while he went into his pup tent, coming out dressed in plain golden pants and a reddish-gold tunic. Casual, for him. They headed back up the stairs and into the kitchen. Harry Callahan was sitting at the table, reading a newspaper. He glanced up as the pair entered the room.

"Morning. How are you two doing?" To Dairine, it sounded odd hearing the words spoken aloud. She was already used to the strange new mind-link.

"Fine. Nita told you?"

"Yep. Not very in-depth, though." Dairine went over to the cupboard and pulled out two bowls, and Roshaun got the milk out of the fridge. A box of granola was already on the table, and she and Roshaun sat side-by-side facing Mr. Callahan. He raised an eyebrow, and Dairine became aware that she and Roshaun were sitting squished together in one chair. She looked at Roshaun in bewilderment.

_How did we get here? _

_No idea._ Dairine pulled a chair next to the one she occupied and scooted into it.

"Sorry, dad."

"Some more information would be nice," he prompted.

"Ok. Well, Roshaun and I are _friaith_. It's sort of like we were literally meant to meet, by the Powers that Be. Most friaith never find each other, because they can be anything, they don't even have to be the same species. So now we have this, like, connection, but we don't know very much about it, which is why we're going to see Tom and Carl. Soon, hopefully."

"Ok…" Mr. Callahan said, "Sounds complicated. Be careful, OK?"

"It is and we will. Don't worry." Dairine and Roshaun ate in silence, relatively speaking, because their minds were far from silent. Then they put the bowls in the sink, said goodbye to Mr. Callahan, and headed out the door.

_Walk or transit?_ Dairine asked.

_Walk. It is pleasant out, and we don't know what the effects of our…connection… will have on the spell. Best to consult with your seniors first. _

In fifteen minutes they arrived at the house, and rang the doorbell. Tom answered, pushing Annie aside with his foot as he held the door open.

"Hello you two. Want a soda?"

A few minutes later they were sitting around the kitchen table, Dairine and Roshaun side by side again, this time in separate chairs, and Tom and Carl across from them. Tom looked them over appraisingly.

"Something's different. Care to explain?"

Dairine wasn't surprised that he had noticed a change. Anyone observant could look at them and tell that something was new. She could see her movements out of Roshaun's eyes, and they both were moving fluidly, anticipating each other's movements unconsciously.

"Well, Roshaun and I are friaith." Tom frowned in confusion, but Carl's eyebrows shot up.

"Really?" Carl asked. Roshaun nodded. "I've never had a chance to meet any in person before. Fascinating."

"We did the ceremony last night, and we need a little help figuring things out. It's a little overwhelming."

"Wait a second," Tom said, "Let me get my manual, because I'm embarrassed to say that I have no idea what you're talking about." He reached into seemingly thin air, in reality his claudication, and rummaged around, eventually pulling out a dictionary-sized manual.

"How many of those have you got in there?" Dairine asked. Tom chuckled.

"Quite a few. Let me see." In a matter of seconds he found the entry. Roshaun glanced at it.

"That is a lot more information than was in either of our "manuals"."

"One of the privileges of being a senior," Tom replied wryly. He quickly scanned through it.

_But_, Dairine thought to Roshaun, _they aren't friaith. We are. We should have had more information on what we were doing. _

_I agree,_ he replied, _But who am I to question the powers that be? _

"Alright, I'm caught up. Extraordinary. Right here in New York, too. Carl, proceed with the questioning."

"Ok. When did this happen, kids?"

"Last night," Dairine replied, "Like I said. We were searching our manuals in the afternoon and I found the entry for friaith. We matched all the signs, so we preformed the ceremony at around eight. Nita was the third person, we used the sunstone as the unifying object."

"And the copper and crystal?"

"A wire and an old rock Nita borrowed from a friend's collection."

"Ah. So you knew next to nothing about it, yet you did it anyway? Without even knowing for sure if you were friaith? That could have been-"

"Catastrophic, we know," Dairine cut Carl off, "But we knew some stuff! Like what it is, basically, and how we might get stronger powers. But yeah, that's pretty much it. We're finding out there's a lot the manual didn't mention. But we don't regret it."


	6. Chapter 6

"I bet you don't," Carl said, pulling Tom's manual over to him, "But I guess I should fill you in on what I know, and then send you to some experts. They can help you more than I can.

"Anyway, here's what I know. Over the entire existence of the universe, there have been three friaith. That's it. There have been about a hundred beings who were meant to be friaith, but only three have ever made the connection."

"We knew that," Dairine interrupted. Roshaun elbowed her in the side.

"Well, I'm telling you again," Carl said, "There are several things we know about friaith, from records and what little the Powers have told us. As you know, the two can be any species, anywhere in the universe.

"What you probably didn't know is that if they perform the ceremony, their life spans will be equalized. The life of both will be slightly longer than the longest of the pair. Say one's lifespan is fifty years, and the others is one hundred. Their life spans after the ceremony would both be somewhere around a hundred and twenty."

"Convenient," Roshaun cut in.

"Very. As well as that, when performing a wizardry together, the outcome of the wizardry can be magnified to up to one hundred times, with no extra drain in energy. Less drain, even. Similar to a twychild, but even more powerful."

"Our emotions are magnified too," Dairine told him, "We had a panic attack last night. Roshaun had to sleep on my... floor." Roshaun glared at Dairine.

"Yes, I suppose that too," Carl continued, "But I don't know much about the emotional aspect. Each friaith have different traits that are unique to the pair. The first friaith was an unusual pair.

"Two females, a cloud spirit from Nishhev B, and a locci, something like a stick bug, from Nishhev X. The two planets were at war, and the pair developed the ability to transform into the others species. It made things quite a lot easier. The cloud spirit's lifespan was the longest, and they lived forty years."

"Will we be able to turn into each other's species?" Dairine asked, glancing at Roshaun.

"I don't know," Carl said, "Each friaith have had different abilities, and you and Roshaun are both humanoid… The circumstances are quite different also."

"What of the other friaith?" Roshaun asked.

"The second pair was made up of a being like a tulip, for lack of a better word, and a kind of ameba. Both males. This was the shortest friaith partnership so far, it lasted about a year. They never did very much, and didn't develop any special traits.

"The most recent pair is in fact still alive. A humanoid female from Chan and a male Rirhait. They've been alive for about 1.2 million years. The Rirhait's life span is 1.6 million years, so they expect to be alive for quite a while longer.

"They have done most of the research and contributed massive amounts of information to the studies and research of friaith. They have developed a multitude of abilities over time, the most prominent one the ability to appear at the others side instantaneously if they are separated. In fact, Roshaun, I believe your father is acquainted with them."

Roshaun's eyebrows rose in mild surprise.

"Indeed? I was not aware. Perhaps we could arrange to meet with them, then, to help work out some of the… problems. We were going to see my father after we met with you, in fact."

"I think that would be a good idea," said Tom, "In fact they were the experts we were going to suggest to you. They can certainly give you a lot more help than we can. But first, what problems have you been experiencing?"

"Just some confusing things," Dairine answered, "Roshaun slept on my floor last night."

"Yes, you mentioned that. Why, exactly?" Tom asked.

"Because if we separate more than a few feet we get this really horrible cold, empty feeling in our heads," Dairine explained, "It shook us up pretty bad last night, and then the panic multiplied like crazy. Believe me, we do not want a repeat."

Carl frowned. "Interesting."

"Yeah. I guess so. More like traumatizing."

"I don't have any idea on how to fix that. Hopefully you will receive some guidance on the subject, and soon."

Dairine glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already noon.

"We'd better get going if we want to see Nelaid."

"Why don't you try transiting home?" Tom suggested, "It will be interesting to see the effect on your wizardries, done together."

"Very well," said Roshaun, standing, "We thank you for your advice and information. Hopefully the next time we meet with you we will have some control over the situation."

"You're welcome. It was our pleasure," Carl replied, "See you later."

Dairine and Roshaun walked out the front door, stopping in the middle of the lawn. The tall hedge around the yard made doing the wizardry easy.

_Right. Let's set up the structure, and do our names last. I think they might have changed quite a bit_, Dairine thought.

_What makes you think that?_

_Well, if our minds are linked, then all of the information that affects me from your mind will be in my name, and vice versa. Basically, everything that is you, is me now. And I'm you. Gosh, this could give you a headache pretty fast, couldn't it?_

_Indeed, and a good point. I'll set up the wizardry, and you look in your manual and see if the entry says anything about names. _

_Fine. _

Spot materialized beside Dairine. She jumped back in surprise.

"How did you do that?"

"A new trick," he said in his computerized accent, which was nearly gone, "Tom had some programs on his computer that I… downloaded." Dairine decided not to press for information.

"Were you there the whole time?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Then you know what to do." Spot whirred for a moment, then his lid opened, revealing the screen. The title of the page read: Friaith; Names; S.23

"Section 23?" Dairine asked, "Why weren't these sections there yesterday?"

"The programs I… downloaded made the necessary information available. You can look at it later. This is the section relevant to your needs." Dairine skimmed through the section, which was about three pages long.

_All right. There's some really complicated stuff in the next sections,_ she thought to Roshaun_, but here it says that if you don't have time to immediately figure that stuff out, you can use this symbol to join your names. _

She showed Roshaun the picture on the screen. It looked a bit like an infinity symbol with the ends cut off, and intricate lines to connect to the names replacing them. Roshaun looked at it for a moment.

_Good. You do your name and then the symbol, and I'll finish the diagram and add in my name. _

Both were completed in a matter of seconds, and the joined names seemed to glow golden. The symbol joining them was vibrating gently, and Dairine imagined she could hear a hum coming from it. They both stepped into the circle, and vanished.

They appeared instantaneously in Dairine's backyard, a soft wind rippling the grass in a circle around them. Dairine looked around in surprise.

_That was fast,_ she thought, and stepped out of the circle.

_Dairine. _

_Yeah? _

_How do you feel?_

_Fine. Why? _

_Because that spell should have drained us, at least a small amount. And didn't that seem much faster and smoother than usual?_

_It worked!_ Dairine smiled broadly, and laughed. _And if that wizardry didn't have an effect, will any? This is amazing! Let's try a bigger one! _

The excitement was contagious, literally. The emotion bounced back and forth, until Dairine and Roshaun were almost delirious with excitement. They grinned at each other enthusiastically, breathing heavy.

_Let's transit to Wellakh!_ Dairine thought excitedly, something she never would have suggested in her normal state of mind. And if that had been the case, Roshaun would never have agreed.

The circle was set in a matter of seconds, and, still dizzy with anticipation, they clasped hands and stepped into the circle.

The effect was immediate. The experience could hardly be considered more strenuous than the walk to Tom and Carl's house.

The wizardry released them in blinding light. Dairine blinked furiously. They were in the same lavishly decorated room as before, golden furniture littering the space, with a few big gold gems thrown in for good measure. The sunlight had reflected off some of the brighter pieces and right into Dairine's eyes. She grumbled, irritated, and stepped to the side, Roshaun with her.

_Insane!_ Dairine exclaimed_, What can't we do?_ But now the excitement was fading, the buzzing fading to a low hum. Dairine's stomach plummeted as common sense caught up with her.

_What did we just do?_ she thought_, Transiting straight to Wellakh? We could have died!_

Roshaun was equally shocked.

_The excitement multiplied,_ he deduced, _It made us reckless. We need to learn how to control it. Yes, it could be helpful in some cases, but, as we just proved, extremely dangerous._

_Right,_ Dairine thought, _Let's get to those friaith. _

_Shall we?_ he asked, nodding towards the door. Dairine started to reply, then stopped.

_Wait. Do I need to change again?_

_I think not. This is not so formal a visit, and I can feel how much you dislike getting 'dressed up' as you put it. My father will not mind. Or, he will not mind any more than he already will._

_Let's do this, then,_ Dairine said determinedly.

They walked out into the hall, and took a couple of confusing turns until they reached the familiar balcony where she and Roshaun had stood that one day during the Pullulus.

Dairine could see the layout of the place in Roshaun's mind, but seeing it in two places at once was dizzying. At least from the balcony there Dairine could barely remember the path the throne room, and Roshaun guided her through most of the twists and turns.

Nelaid Ke Seriv (in the shortest version of the name) was sitting on the throne-like chair in the room, watching them approach. His green eyes were narrowed knowingly, but his face was passive. Roshaun and Dairine both knew somehow that Nelaid was already aware of the change on some level. They walked close together up to the chair, and Roshaun addressed his father.

"Royal Sire, we come seeking advice, and a favor."

Nelaid regarded them, considering.

"I know already what you come for, Sun Lord." Dairine was struck with how formal a tone was used between the father and son. Nelaid didn't even use Roshaun's name! Roshaun silently warned her not to say anything out loud.

"How do you know?"

"The seniors from your acquaintance's planet contacted me when you left. They informed that you would come requesting advice and the location of a close friends."

"One friend, Sire? We seek two."

"Their friaith partnership is so complete that they are as close to being one person as can possibly be without joining fully as one being. They see at themselves as one, and are addressed as one." Roshaun's father sighed. "I will inform them that you are coming. I am sure they will welcome you."

"You are not surprised by what has happened?" Roshaun questioned. He had expected a reaction of any kind, not this accepting indifference.

Nelaid looked closely at Dairine, and spoke to Roshaun at the same time.

"I am not. I knew it was likely from the time you both entered this room and spoke with me, side by side. I have spent a long time around Ariktivahahs, and I would be hard pressed not to see the aura around you for what it was. I am not thrilled with the circumstances," here he inclined his head to Dairine in an apologetic manner, "I have nothing against you, but the fact that you are of different species, and both so young… But there is nothing to be done. The ceremony cannot be undone."

Dairine scowled at Nelaid. So he didn't think she was good enough for his precious "sun lord"? _The pompous, twit! I'll give him a piece of my mind, "nothing against you" indeed-_

_Dairine!_ Roshaun cut in to her thoughts, _Say nothing. I agree with you, but we need that help from the friaith. Please, hold your tongue. _

Dairine was mad. Not furious, just annoyed. But annoyed was all it took for the feeling to rebound, again and again, and burst into fury.

Dairine noticed the air around them was a bit steamy, seeming to reflect their anger. Not just steamy, but boiling hot. The entire room was heating up. Nelaid looked alarmed, and was rising from his chair.

Dairine took a step towards the former king, hands curling into fists. She began lining up a wizardry in her head, one that would definitely cause some discomfort. Dairine could feel Roshaun's desire to do something drastic as well, but he forced the feeling back and grabbed Dairine's arm, holding her back.

_Dairine!_ he thought loudly, _Fight it! Do not do something you will regret._ Dairine felt Roshaun force himself to calm, diluting the sudden fury. He managed it, and the feeling overtook the anger in Dairine as well.

She stopped struggling, red haze clearing, the temperature in the room dropping. Nelaid had put up a shield, and was collapsing it. He looked stern.

"Sire," Roshaun said, shaking off the last of the anger, and pushing Dairine behind him, "The location?" Nelaid looked like he would like to argue, but didn't dare, witnessing what had just happened.

"Very well," he said stiffly, "I will send a message to Ariktivahahs informing them of your arrival."

"Ariktivahahs?" Roshaun questioned.

"The friaith go by one name," Nelaid replied shortly. Dairine and Roshaun watched him construct a type of wizardry "letter" in the air. The letters of the message glowed green as he traced them out in the Speech.

**Faithful friend, Ariktivahahs, he wrote, I, Nelaid ke Seriv am Teliuyve am Meseph am Veliz am Teriaunst am Antev det Nuiiliat, Sunlord of Wellakh, request that the Sun Lord Roshaun ke Nelaid am Seriv am Teliuyve am Meseph am Veliz am Teriaunst am det Nuiilia, and his partner, Dairine ke Callahan, visit your home. They are in need of the guidance only you can provide. Powers with you, and many thanks. **

When Nelaid finished the letter, he tied it with a symbol and if vanished in the air, presumably sent to Ariktivahahs.

"They will reply promptly. They are near their home more often than not." And sure enough, barely a minute later, a green message fizzled into the air.

**Nelaid Ke Seriv; we would be honored and happy to have the Sun Lord and his partner learn from us. You reached us at a good moment; we are currently available at our home. They are welcome to come immediately, as we are occupied for some time after that. Our thanks again, dearest friend. **

Nelaid glanced at Roshaun and Dairine, who had read the characters over his shoulder.

"Here are the coordinates." He traced them into the air, and Dairine fastened them to a transit circle that she had stored in her claudication. They fastened in their names, again with that curious "joined" symbol, then stood just outside the circle.

"Thank you for your guidance, Sire. This is most appreciated."

"No thanks are necessary," Nelaid said coolly.

_Ready to see if we can transit that easily again?_

_Let's do it. _

They stepped simultaneously into the circle, and into blackness.


	7. Chapter 7

"The distance," Dairine expressed the problem they were both thinking. Roshaun nodded gravely.

"We need a solution. The… let's call it the stretch, will be too much. We won't be able to handle it." Roshaun and Dairine were sitting at the kitchen table, devouring sandwiches.

"I think we need to test our limits," Dairine suggested, "I'll stay here, and you go to the Crossings." Roshaun frowned.

"Isn't that a bit far? Ariktivahahs only reached that distance after a millennia of practice."

"But, the Crossings is closer here than it was at their home. I bet we could do it. Plus, younger wizards are more powerful. It should be a piece of cake." Dairine pounded the table with her fist resolutely.

"Fine. But have Nita come in here with you in case something happens." Dairine nodded, and yelled:

"NITA!" Her sister came running down the stairs moments later, hand shimmering with a ready spell. She looked around hurriedly.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Dairine smiled at her.

"Nothing, I just wanted to get you down here. We need you for an experiment." Nita sighed, but flopped down in a chair, extinguishing the half-completed wizardry.

"What is it?"

"Roshaun and I are going to test the limits of this thing, and see if he can make it to the Crossings without me. We just need you here in case of emergency." Nita nodded.

"Right. Go for it, and try not to hurt yourself." Roshaun quickly set up the transit circle.

"Are you sure?" he asked Dairine, before stepping into it. Dairine nodded, Roshaun disappeared, and Dairine collapsed.

"Dairine!" Nita rushed around the table. She groaned, and struggled upright.

"I… _ow._" She pressed a palm to her stomach. "It's… pulling…" She broke off, doubling over on the kitchen floor. A second later, Roshaun was back next to her, panting and clutching his abdomen.

"Dairine!" he gasped, keeling over next to her. She grunted.

"I told you." He managed a smile. Dairine inclined her head in acceptance.

"Maybe we should have started smaller, huh?" She was breathing regularly, and Roshaun helped her to her feet. "Right. Try going to the front door."

"What, now?" Nita asked, "Don't you think you should take it easy? That was pretty intense." Dairine shook her head, and Roshaun started for the door.

This was much easier. After the last stunt, it barely compared. With Roshaun at the other end of the house, all she felt was a slight coldness in her mind, and a tug in her stomach.

_Go farther,_ she told him, and saw-felt him opening the door and walking down the driveway. The cool feeling spread, and Dairine put a hand to her head as he passed the mailbox and started down the street. Luckily he was in his "disguise": t-shirt and wizardly-shortened hair.

Roshaun made his way to Tom and Carl's house, following instructions and memories from Dairine's previous trips. He reached the gate and Dairine had to lean on the table. She felt Roshaun press a hand to his temple.

_Dairine? _he thought.

_More. _

_Where should I go? I'm already at your senior's house. _

_Try a transit? Short, just to the moon. _

_Are you sure? _

_Yeah. I think I can handle it. _

_Right. _She sensed him setting up the spell. It took only a matter of seconds, including setting the oxygen levels, and he stepped in.

And then he was on the moon. Dairine sat down hard with a solid _thump. _

"Whoa." Her head was filled with a rushing wind, but it wasn't overwhelming. She could feel Roshaun on the gray ground, having sat down to get his bearings.

_How do you feel?_ he asked her.

_Dizzy, _she replied, _But this is a lot better than the crossings. I think I could keep this up for a while._

_As could I, _he said, _Should I come back, or keep going?_

_Come on back, _Dairine said, _We can experiment more later, and this is pretty uncomfortable._

Seconds later Roshaun had transited to her side.

"Well, it appears we don't have Ariktivahahs' ability to appear at each other's side." Roshaun sounded a bit disappointed.

"Yeah, that would have been neat," Dairine agreed, "Do you think we have any other powers? I mean, besides the emotion thing."

"What emotion thing?" Nita asked, "You have other powers?"

"Yeah," Dairine answered, "Our emotions sort of bounce back and forth and multiply until they're really strong. They affect the temperature in the room. I got mad at Roshaun's dad, and the room started steaming!"

"Whoa," Nita said, "Remind me to stay on your good side. What are your new power levels like?"

"Off the charts!" Dairine shouted, "We transited from here to Wellakh and didn't even feel it!"

"We have not checked the actual levels yet," Roshaun said, "We should do that."

"I'll check Spot," Dairine said, and whistled. A moment later the computer appeared.

"Remember me?" The laptop asked dryly.

"Sorry, Spot," Dairine apologized, "We've been kind of busy. But we need to check our new power levels. Can you flip to my entry?"

The right screen flickered on instantly. Dairine's jaw dropped.

"Holy crap!"

"Dairine!" Nita said, gazing at the screen, "That is ridiculous! Higher than Mamvish. And look at the entry head."

Dairine tore her eyes away from the ridiculously high power levels and looked at the top of the page.

Her name read: Dairine Callahan ke Callahan ket Roshaun ke Nelaid am Seriv am Teliuyve am Meseph am Veliz am Teriaunst am det Nuiiliat.

_Roshaun! Check out the name!_

The sun lord spared a glance at the heading.

_Interesting. As well as signifying our partnership, this states you as guarantor of Wellakh alongside me. My sire will find fault with this, but there is nothing he can do, if the Powers have willed it. _

_Great! Your father was teaching me to work with stars, anyway. He seemed to like me, too, which is why it's weird that he was upset with the bonding._

_He may like you well enough, _Roshaun explained, _but he concerns for my planet and family. The people will not like that their king has bonded with an "alien", and that she will share the sun watch him. But it will be fixed. _

"Dair, look at the time," Nita urged, "It's already ten, and _I'm_ beat. We should head to bed."

Now that Nita mentioned it, Dairine was feeling a bit… exhausted. Roshaun was as well. And apparently, exhaustion is an emotion.

Dairine dropped like a rock, Roshaun not far behind her.

"Dairine? Roshaun?" Nita crouched down beside them, where they were splayed out of the floor.

"Hmm," Dairine groaned, "Can't… move." Nita guessed what had happened.

"Can't one of you just think… awake thoughts?" Roshaun only grunted. Nita sighed. Drastic times.

Dairine shot up as a shocking burst of cold exploded on her face.

"Nita!" Roshaun stood and glared at Dairine's sister as well, who was holding an empty glass of water and trying to hold in her laughter. He marched stiffly out of the room, Dairine on his heels.

At the steps they paused.

_Well? My room again?_

_I suppose. We could go separately, but I don't like the idea of trying to sleep with that "wind" in my head. _

Dairine nodded in agreement.

_Tomorrow, I think we should visit the mobiles. I think they might be able to help. _

_Good idea. We'll go as soon as possible. Now, let us get up the stairs before we both pass out again._


	8. Chapter 8

For some reason, Roshaun's mind seemed fascinated with the ocean.

_We really need to go there sometime. _

_Where?_

_The ocean. Your subconscious is obsessed. _Roshaun opened his eyes. He was curled around Dairine, effectively trapping her between the wall and himself.

_Before you freak out, _Dairine thought, trying to project calmness, _I'm sure there are special circumstances for things like this. Being _friaith_ is probably one of them. _

Roshaun got up and dressed in a hurry regardless.

_So, the motherboard? _Dairine asked as she chewed the last of her cereal. Roshaun slurped the dregs of milk from his bowl in an extremely un-kingly manner.

_Indeed. Now that you are officially Guarantor alongside me, the need to find a suitable living arrangement is more pressing. Neither of us can exactly leave our planet and live on another. Perhaps your people will be able to help._

_Right. _Dairine dropped both of their bowls into the sink, then led the way outside. _What do you think? Transit strait there? I bet we can do it!_

_Dairine. This is a lot farther than Wellakh. Drastically farther. _

_But remember our power levels! We could do it, easy. I know it! _

_Fine. But if we end up dead, it's your fault. _

_Deal. Let's set it up. Should we use the long version of our names? Not with the joining symbol, but the full one. Just in case?_

_Very well. You set up the circle and I will find our name and write it in. _

While Roshaun scanned through his light-manual, Dairine meticulously set the circle. Transiting directly there was dangerous, even with enough power for a strait shot. It a calculation of coordinate was wrong, they could be stranded in nothingness out in space.

_Found it. And it's pretty long. Call it up on Spot, and check me as I write it down. _Roshaun knelt down to the circle and began tracing in the glowing letters.

_Ok. Check the coordinates for me, too. _Dairine quickly located the entry on Spot's screen. _That _is_ long. _

As Roshaun traced each symbol in, Dairine checked off of Spot.

_Roshaun! _He turned to the place Dairine was pointing. _This one is wrong. It's _dlion_, not _helion.

_Thank you. Any more that you see? _Dairine eyed the rest.

_Nope. Did you check the coordinates? _

_Yes, they were fine. Ready?_

_Ready. _

Together they stepped into the circle. Their voices joined together, singing the wizardry, willing space itself to accommodate them. There was new power in their voices, commanding the elements to obey. They read their name, and there was such power in it that the air shook in its hurry to serve.

And then they were done, and they were hurled into space, spinning, spinning, rushing by the galaxies at speeds yet unfathomed. It was smooth, it was perfect, it was all their doing.

And then Dairine felt, rather than saw, the hook. It reached into the wizardry, a giant's hand grasping the words and twisting, wrenching the power off balance and spinning them into an entirely unwanted direction, into the dark.

And then it was _dark._


	9. Chapter 9

_Dairine. Dairine! _

_I'm here. Roshaun? Where are you?_

_Here. _A hand reached out and found hers.

_Where are we? _

_Not on the motherboard. Did you feel It?_

_How couldn't I? What does He want with us? Also, which way is up? _

_I do not know. He is here, though, I can feel him. _

Dairine pushed herself to her feet, and pulled Roshaun up beside her.

_C'mon. There is no way I'm facing Him sitting down. Where is he? _

A red light pulsed in front of them, like a sunrise but wholly malevolent. He was there.

Black darkness cloaked Him, hints of ivory white skin showing under ebony locks and eyes. He paced towards the pair, strolling at a mocking leisure. He was magnified, looming up over the landscape, eerie glow escaping the terrible nothingness around Him.

_Dairine. _Roshaun and Dairine pressed against each other, shoulder to shoulder.

_He wants a fight. Stay strong, Roshaun. He can probably smell fear. _

_Hardly the time for jokes._

_Who says I was joking?_

"Dairine frait Roshaun." His tone was mocking, employing the _friaith_ title. "The universe's newest wonder couple. I haven't had the pleasure in- what? It's got to have been a few _billion _years since my _brother _decided to make a few superheroes."

"What do you want with us?" Roshaun did a very impressive job steadying his voice. _Dairine? Can you fight? You were right, the transit didn't drain us. _

_I can manage. Mr. Evil's going to be a bit surprised, I think._

"What do I want with you? Well, it's just been so long since I've had a mildly competent opponent. I had the pleasure of wiping out the first two of your kind. The _flower-_" he snorted derisively, "was simply a joke. I do hope that the two- or should I say one? - on you will provide a _bit _more of a challenge."

_We're too powerful, _Dairine realized, _He wants to wipe us out. _

_Well, He is going to have a hard time doing so. _Dairine could feel Roshaun's resolve, and she let it multiply, until it set in their minds like steel. He could feel it.

"What's this? Wonder children think they can take on a power? Sorry, boys and girls, but the little kiddies don't have an ice spirit's chance in Hell against me." His tone was infuriatingly condescending.

_This guy is making me mad, Roshaun. _

_You know, He is getting on my nerves a bit too. Shall we? _

_We shall. _Darien focused on the mocking tone of the dark one before them, added the feeling of Roshaun's father's disapproval, and then threw in everything that had ever made her mad for good measure. The feeling multiplied back and forth, Roshaun adding his demons, and the feeling mixed with the steely determination until it created a wholly invincible feeling and the air around them was equal parts steaming and freezing.

"So, the big kids can change the temperature?" He mocked, but there was ice in his voice now. "Well, we can't have that." He struck.

A bolt of black nothing was flung at them, and Dairine only had time to think _Shield!_ before it hit. Roshaun had flung his arms up in reflex. And the bold did not hit, but slid slickly to the side, and detonated beside them.

_Roshaun! I didn't do a wizardry!_

_Neither did I. _

_Our powers?_

_I think so. _

_Then... we can... will a wizardry?_

_Yes. Or something of the sort._

_Ha! Then this will be easy. What now? _

_Retaliation?_

_Sounds good. __Working in tandem, Roshaun flung his arms down in a wave while Dairine __pushed __her thoughts forward: __**Light**__! _

And there was light. The Lone One only had time to pull up His own shield, eyes widening as a bolt of power twice as powerful as His split around His force field, blasting off into the distance.

"Oh, look. The tots found a new toy." But His face had lost all traces of levity.

_Get ready, _Dairine warned, _We're gonna get it now. _

_Not if we can help it. Instead of blocking…_

_Got it. _

A blast of power was flung at them, marginally denser than the first, cutting through the air like a knife, dissolving it.

_Now, Roshaun! __**Heal**__! _And Roshaun flung his arms wide, absorbing the bold and breathing it back out, changed from nothing to s_omething. _It screamed back toward its creator emitting blinding light.

_Dairine, _Roshaun was winded, _I _felt _that. I cannot handle too many more of those._

But now He was mad, and the battle started. Bolt after bolt was flung, some absorbed, but most blocked, no time to think, only time to feel and trust senses that they had not known they had.

If viewed from afar, Dairine gathered the fight would look like a titanic, never-ending explosion, of darkness hurtling, disappearing, and re-entering as bursts of light and hurtling back.

_Dairine! _

_I know! It's just as hard for me, you know. I can't keep this up. We need to end this! _

_He is a power! _

_But we're _friaith_! You heard him, we're the superheroes of the universe. _Another volley hurtled at them and glanced off the shield they flung up. _And besides, He didn't defeat Ariktivahahs, did He? And Ariktivahahs couldn't do _this_! _

They both dredged up enough power and sent a dark bullet back at the Lone One, transforming it into light as it went.

_We can do this! We _have _done it! _

_Very well. What- that could work. _

_It _will _work. Now do it! _He reached to fire another black bolt, and Dairine grabbed Roshaun's hand.

_Now! __**BANISH!**_ And Roshaun and Dairine each flung an arm out at the Lone Power, forcing the wizardry out through their palms. The Lone Power screamed, and Dairine and Roshaun screamed with them, pushing Him back through sheer force of will.

And then He was gone.

_Back where He came from. Nita's idea, but it will last this time. _Dairine had pulled the memory from somewhere during the battle, and it had stuck. Nita had saved them with the spell once before, and now it had saved them again.

_I think we can save the motherboard trip for another day. _Roshaun suggested.

_I think that you're right. We should just go. Shall we?_

_Indeed. _

_**Home**_! Dairine willed, and Roshaun, exhausted as he was, managed to firmly extend and pull back one arm, and they forced themselves through space and stepped into Dairine's backyard.

_What… what time is it?_ Dairine glanced up at the clouded sky, looking for the sun.

_I have no idea, but I do know that I am going to bed right now. _

_I'm with you. _

The pair struggled inside and up the stairs, and fell asleep on Dairine's bed without bothering to set up the wizardry for Roshaun.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, everyone! Last chapter, and I went back and fixed all grammar errors in the last chapters, I hadn't realized how many there were, and some of the formatting was messed up, so sorry about that! Everything's fixed now, though. Thanks for reading, and reveiws are appreciated!**

Dairine and Roshaun stood side-by-side in front of Dairine's bed, staring at the wall.

_What do you think? _

_Well, I am certain that my sire will not approve, but there is really nothing he can do. And you?_

_Well, my dad won't actually like it either…but it's necessary, really. Your dad knows that too._

_Yes. Well, let us get on with it, then. _

_Right. _

_**Gate!**_ Dairine willed the thought into existence, and Roshaun thrust both hands forward towards the wall and ripped the space in two. A beat, power rushing through the rip, and then a gold something appeared through the rip. A shove and a tear later, and the space that was Dairine's wall fused into a golden palace-like room, bejeweled with gold and red stones on every available space.

Dairine jumped on her bed and reached out a hand to test. It went right over and landed on the golden bed that was now fused to hers. She pushed through and sat on Roshaun's bed, looking around at the golden lacey drapes hanging around the four posters.

She pushed back through.

_I do believe that this will work, Roshaun. _She smiled broadly. Roshaun looked critically at it.

_Yes. Yes it will. Of course, there are still problems. You are in… school? Yes. School for most of the day, and we both must be Guarantor now, but I trust everything will work out. _

_I'm sure it will. I can see if I can skip a few grades. My dad was discussing the idea with my teachers… I didn't want to, but I think I will now. Everything will be fine, how couldn't it, when we're the most powerful mortals on this side of the universe?_

_We will probably be on errantry a lot more as well, with our new power levels, the Powers will be sure they get the energy back that they put into it._

_With great power comes great responsibility, huh?_

_I do not understand._

_Never mind. I'm exhausted, can we get to bed?_

_Very well. _

Dairine climbed into bed and Roshaun stepped over onto his bed. Dairine reached over through the light years and touched Roshaun's hand.

_Roshaun? _

_I am here._

_Just making sure._


End file.
